Niagara Veterinary Tick Update

April 1, 2013

It’s that time of year again, winter is slowly loosening it’s grasp on us and the warm weather is around the corner. With the milder spring weather ahead our Niagara Veterinary Clinic wants to remind you about the dangers ticks pose to your dog and cat. With average daily temperatures above the freezing mark expect to see the arrival of these crawling critters in an area near you.

The 2 types of ticks commonly found in Welland and the Niagara Region are the American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and the Deer Tick (Ixodes Scapluaris). Both prefer the cooler weather of Spring and Fall to the hot dry temperatures of summer. These ticks will often be found in grassy or wooded areas where they wait to attach themselves to unsuspecting people and pets that walk by. At our Niagara veterinary clinic we hear stories from our clients about pulling ticks off themselves and their pets so it’s a good idea to give yourself and your dog or cat a thorough check over after venturing outside.

Ticks often migrate to areas that have a high blood flow, so be sure to check out the groin, armpits, under and on the ears, chin and muzzle.

If you remove a tick from your pet and want to see what type it is you can bring the tick in to our Niagara veterinary clinic at the Main West Animal Hospital to see if we can identify it for you. We also sell easy to use products to help prevent your pets from getting infested with ticks. Contact our friendly staff at the Main West Animal Hospital today to see how to protect your pet this spring before you run into problems.